Thill-coupling.



UNITED "STATES PATENT OEEICE.

LEWIS G. SPRAGUE, OF HENDERSON, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO LEONARD F. BRADFORD, OF SYRAOUSE, NEWYORK, AND JOHN CAR- PENTER, OF HENDERSON, NEV YORK.

THlLL-COUPLINGJ- SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,675, dated July 1, 1902.

Application iilerd May 21, 1902.

To all whom t may con/cern.-

Be it known that I, LEWIS G. SPRAeUnof Henderson, in the county of Jeersom'in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to improvements in 1o thill-couplings for carriages.

The object of this invention is to produce a quick shift antirattling thill coupling between the shaft and the axle of the carriage and to provide means for taking up any wear of the coupled parts and additional means for holding the shaft in its upright position.

To this end the invention consists in the combination, zonstruction, and arrangement of the parts of a shaft-coupling, as Ihereinafeo ter fully described, and pointedout in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation, partly broken away, of a shaftcoupling embodying the features of my in- 2 5 vention. Fig. 2isa longitudinal vertical section through the coupling. Fig. 3 is an end view of the coupling end of the shaft and the movable parts mounted thereon. Fig. 4 is an inverted` plan view of the parts seen in Fig. 3o 3. Fig. 5 is-a sectional view taken on line 5 5, Fig. 1. Fig. 6is an enlarged detail view of the adjacent coupled parts, showing particularly the adj usting-screwin the movable jaw for tensioning its actuating-spring.A

Similar referencecharacters indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

In the drawings I have shown an axle 1 and a shaft 2, the axle l being provided with a' clip 3 and a clip-plate 4, having upwardlyio projecting ears orlugs 5 in front of the axle 1.

The clip 3.and plate 4 are secured to the axle by suitable bolts and nuts 6 in the usualy manner, the plate 4 being provided with an face of the axle, for the purpose of holding the plate more firmly in its adjusted position and relieving the strain upon the clip-bolt. This plate 4 extends forwardly from the axle, and the ears or lugs 5 project upwardly from 5o its upper face in separated relation to each other, their upper ends being connected by a its `operative position.` abutment or shoulder 7, engagingv the frontv Serial No. 108,426. (No model.)

`suitable bar or bolt S of circular cross-section.

The bolt S may be formed integral with the ears 5, but preferably is riveted at its opposite ends in suitable apertures provided in the ears, as seen in Fig. 5, and forms substantially an integral part of the clip-plate 4. It is evident, however, that this bar 8 may be, if desired, provided with the usual head and nut at its opposite ends for holding the same in position. I usually provide the axle with an upwardly-projecting spring-arm 9, having its lower end impinged between the plate 4 and one of thenuts of the clip and its upper end disposed in front of the axle and provided with a slot 10 for receiving a shoulder on the shaft for the purpose of holding said shaft in its upright position.

lThe thills or. shaft 2, enly a portion of which is shown in the drawings, is provided at its coupling end with a fixed jaw 11, a movable jaw 12, a spring-arm 13, and a cam-lever 14, the jaw 11 forming a part of the draft-eye or thill-iron and is provided with a semicylindrical bearing-face 15 for engaging the upper face of the bar S. This xed jaw 11 is preferably forged from the thill-iron, which is formed with a recess 16, extending inwardly from its rear face for receiving and permitting the operation of the movable jaw 12, spring 13and cam-lever 1 4. The opposite walls of the recess 16 preferably project downwardly a suiiicient distance so that the rear faces of the walls abut against the front edge ofthe clip-plate 44 for limiting the downward movement of the thills or shaft.

. The movable jaw 12 is pivotally mounted at one end at 17 within the recess 16, and its ether end is movable toward and away from the fixed jaw 11 and is providedwith a semicylindrical bearing 18 for engaging the lower facev of the bar 8 when said jaw is moved to The spring 13 is securedv at one end to the lower face of the thill-iron by a suitable screw or other fastening means 19, and its other end extends rearwardly between the upper end of the cam-lever 14 and the lower face of the movable jaw 12 and is normally tensioned to spring away from the movable jaw toward the adjacent end of the cam-lever 14 for the IOG purpose of permitting the movable jaw to drop by its own gravity when the same is released.

The cam-lever 1-t is pivotally mounted at one end at 2O within the recess 1G and engages the lower face of the spring 13 between its point of engagement with the movable jaw and its point of securement to the thilliron. This cam-lever is provided with an eccentric shoulder 2l and substantially flat bearing-faces 22 and 23 and is also provided with a hand-engaging portion 24.

The cam-shoulder 2l is sufhciently removed from the pivot 20 so that when the lever l-t is rocked forwardly from the position seen in Fig. 2 to the position seen in Fig. 1 the spring 13 is forced upwardly against its own tension, and the jaw 12 is simultaneously elevated into engagement with the bar 8, the intermediate portion of the spring being still further compressed or tensioned as the lever continues to move to its operative position. When the/lever 14 is in its inoperative position, as seen in Fig. 2, the shoulder 21 is in front of the pivot 2O and the fiat face 23 is in engagement with the spring 13, the spring 13 being tensioned against the flat face 23, and thereby serves to hold the lever 14 in its inoperative position.

When the lever is moved to its operative position, as seen in Fig. 1, the shoulder 2l is in a plane above and at the rear of the pivot 20, and the other face 22 is then in engagement with the spring 13, and the tension of the spring being toward the pivot it is evident that the engagement of said spring with the other fiat face 22 holds the lever in its operative position. In this latter position the jaws 12 and 13 are firmly locked to the bar 8, and the jaw 12 is held in said locked position under the compression of the spring 13, which serves to automatically take up any wear incidental to the movement of the draft-eye upon the rod S.

It is well known that when springs are used for the purpose just described, operated under the action of a cam, there is more or less liability of the spring weakening and becoming inefficient in its function, andin order to compensate for this inefficiency I provide the movable jaw with an adjusting-screw 25, which is rotatable in a threaded aperture in said jaw and is provided with a suitable head, against which the free end of the spring 13 abuts. This head is usually angular and is adapted to be engaged by the wrench or equivaient device for turning the same, and thereby increasing the tension of the spring when desired. This adjusting-screw is one of the important features of my invention, as it prolongs the life of the spring 1 3 and insures at all times a positive engagement of the jaws with the bar S to prevent any rattle of the coupling or other movable parts engaged by said spring.

The means for holding the shaft in its upright position consists of the spring 9 and a shoulder 26, provided on the upper rear face of the fixed jaw 11, said shoulder being arranged to automatically interlock with the slotted end of the spring 9 when the shaft is elevated, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In the operation of my invention when it is desired to clamp the thills in position the movable parts of the thill-iron are opened to the position seen in Fig. 2 and the bearing-face of the fixed jaw 11 is registered with the upper face of the bar 8, whereupon the lever 14 is rocked forwardly and upwardly for compressing the spring 13 against its own tension, thereby forcing the movable jaw 12 into engagement with the lower face of the bar S, said lever being automatically locked in its operative position by reason of the engagement of its flat face 22 with the spring 13 above the pivot 20. If at any time the spring is insufficient to hold the jaws firmly in engagement with the bar 8, the screw 25 is then adj usted to increase the tension of the spring 13 until said jaws are in proper engagement with the bar 8. When desired to remove the shaft, it is simply necessary to rock the lever 1-1 downwardly and rearwardly, the spring 13 retracting,and the jaw 12 automatically moves by its own gravity away from the bar 8, which movement causesasufiicientopeningbetween the jaws so that the thill-iron may be readily withdrawn from the shaft.

The operation of my invention will now be readily understood upon reference to the foregoing description and the accompanying drawings, and it will be noted that some change may be made in the detail construction and arrangement without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a thill-coupling, in combination with an axle and a pivotal bar, a thill-iron having a fixed jaw and a movable jaw, a spring secured to the fixed jaw and movable independen tly of the movable jaw and a cam-lever piv- IOO IIO

otally connected to the fixed jaw and engaging the intermediate portionof the spring, the free end of said spring acting upon the movable jaw.

2. In a thin-coupling, an axle having a pivotal bar connected thereto, a shaft provided with a fixed jaw, a spring-having one end Secured to the fixed jaw and its other end tensioned to move away from the movable jaw independently of said movable jaw, a cam-lover pivotally connected to the fixed jaw and provided with a cam-shoulder engaging the intermediate portion of the spring to move the same against its own tension, the free end of the spring acting upon the movable jaw to force the same into engagement with the bar.

3. In combination with an axle havinga pivotal bar, a shaft having a fixed jaw engaged with the bar, a second jaw pivotally mounted upon the fixed jaw and provided with a bearing-face for engaging said bar, said pivoted jaw moving by its own gravity away from the bar, a spring fixed at one end at one side of the pivot of the movable jaw and its other end extended beyond the opposite side of the pivot and tensioned to move away from the movable jaw independently thereof, and a cam-lever pivotally connected to the fixed jaw and engaged with the intermediate portion of the spring for operating said spring against Y its own tension, the free end of said spring operating upon lthe movable jaw to close the same upon the bar.

4. In combination with an axle having a pivotal bar connected thereto, a shaft having a fixed jaw engaged detachably with the bar, a spring having one end secured to the shaft andits other` end movable toward and away from the bar, said spring being normally tensioned to move away from the bar, a second jaw pivotally connected vto the shaft and extending between the free end of the spring and the bar and movable independently of the spring, adjusting means between the free` ends of the pivoted jaw and spring for varying the tension of the spring upon the jaw, and means engaged with the spring for operating the same against its own tension for forcing the movable jaw into engagement with the bar.

5. In combination with an axle having a pivotal bar connected thereto, a shaft having a fixed jaw engaged with the bar, a second jaw pivoted to the shaft at one end and having its other end movable toward and away from the bar and provided with an adj usting-screw, a spring engaged with said screw, and a camlever engaged with said spring :for compressing the same and forcing the movable jaw into engagement with the bar.

6. In combination with an axle having a pivotal bar, and a slotted spring connected to the axle, a shaft having a fixed jaw engaged with the bar and provided with a shoulder interlookin g with said slottedspring when the shaft is elevated for holding said shaft in its elevat-edl position, a spring having one end secured to the shaft and its other end extended rearwardly beneath the bar and movable toward and away from said bar, said spring being normally tensioned to move away from the bar, a second jaw having one end pivoted to the shaft and its other end movable between the free end of the spring and the bar and provided with an adjusting-screw engaged with the free end of the spring, and a cam-lever operating upon the spring to force the movable jaw into engagement with the bar.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 5th day of May, 1902.

LEWIS G. SPRAGUEJ Witnesses:

GEO. L. SPRAGUE, A. M. KILBY. 

